“All alone, are we?” he asked. Just as she opened her mouth to scream, his hand reached out and silenced her, his large palm over her mouth as she pushed and struggled. He withdrew his revolver and with a sharp crack, hit her on the side of the head. She sank into darkness.
Chapter Fifteen
Hell is empty. All the devils are here. ? William Shakespeare
It was an easy matter gagging and blindfolding the senators, and Cole was none too gentle when he tied the restraints on Senator Perkins’ wrists. The man called out in pain, and Cole pulled harder. With them secured, his mind now raced with what to do next.
“No way to get you word,” Preach said gruffly. “When we passed hands at the station, I was told a hefty sum of silver was passed across the palm of the station master.” Of course the station master hadn’t been aware of the planned theft that was to take place upon the train. His contact on the railroad line knew exactly when the train would pass through, exactly the amount of money held in the safe, and it had been an easy matter to bribe him into making a quick change with drivers.
Monty and his men, along with Doc and Justice, were supposed to have been in the back room with the safe, as Monty’s man Rinaldo was an expert at cracking safes. Pearson would get a cut for covering their whereabouts, and several of Monty’s men would take off in various directions, muddying their tracks. The state senators were supposed to be on their way toward a convention, and apparently had decided to take an earlier ride. Cole had expected them to arrive a few days later. Now what would they do with the senators?
There was muttering and cursing apparently going on behind the gags, and Cole gladly kneed the back of the man he held in his hands now. The man cried out, and Cole took a sadistic pleasure in having caused him pain. Bastard.
Cole dragged one man, and Preach the other, a thin-nosed, scrawny man with a shock of thick dark hair. Cole finally found where Monty had the safe, and he brought the two hostages in with him.
“Didn’t know these bastards would be joining us,” Cole said. They could be hanged for manhandling politicians.
“These men are restrained,” he said. “Take them to Lawson’s for questioning, and we’ll have to figure out what to do with them later. I’m going to get back up and bring Junior down here.” What he didn’t tell them all was that his intention was to make sure he had Aida secured. She’d lose it when she found out her father was in the same building as she was and he wanted to be with her when she found out.
Climbing up the narrow staircase, he nearly ran into Junior, his eyes wide and guilty-looking as he met Cole.
“She’s gone,” he said.
Cold twisted in his stomach and Cole grabbed Junior by the shirt collar. “Where is she?”
“I don’t know,” Junior began. “She went to the bathroom and took a long time. After a while, when she didn't answer my knocks, I worried, and broke the door down. She was gone, and there was blood.” Junior scrubbed a hand across his face. He looked pained. Cole itched to punch him, to throw his fist into Junior and take out his anger. How couldJunior have let him down? Cole had trusted him.
“We’ll comb every room in this place until we find her,” Cole said. “She can’t have gone far.”
Where had she gone? It had to be Pearson. He’dkillhim. Desperation made him furious, and it was all he could do not to lose his temper again. Hehadto stay in control. He hadn’t gotten to where he was without staying in control.
Chapter Sixteen
I do not speak as I think, I do not think as I should, and so it all goes on in helpless darkness. ? Franz Kafka
Aida trembled as she woke. Her head felt like it would split apart, and when she cracked open her eyes, the light made it throb. Just her luck, she thought. Twice now in one week to be taken against her will. But she’d do anything to be back with thefirstman who’d taken her. The wicked hands of the man who now held her made her want to vomit. He was right next to her, and to her horror, she felt him come even closer.
“He thinks you’re all his,” Pearson said as he pulled her to him. He ran his tongue along her collarbone. She cringed, yanking away from him, but he lifted his hand and smacked her straight across the face. Her head snapped back, pain radiating across her cheek. She screamed, but it was no use. Pearson likely thought Cole still occupied with whatever he’d gone to do, or unlikely to come fetch her.
“He’s a real man now,” Pearson said. “Well, real men share their women.”
“When he finds out what you’ve done, he’ll kill you,” Aida hissed. He would, she knew he would. God, but she wanted him here.
Pearson grinned. “Is that right? He won’t find you in time. I’ll die a happy man.”
He reached a hand out to her and she kicked him with all her might, straight between the knees. He howled, but only for a second before he lunged at her. She poked her fingers out, sinking her fingers into his eyeballs. He screamed in fury and pain as she found her target. As he doubled over, she kicked him again, as hard as she could. She didn’t even take time to see if he was following her. She ran.
Where could she go? The long halls were filled with doors and several staircases, but she ran as far from the sounds of the man in pursuit behind her as she could. She felt him grab her skirts, but she shook him off and ran on and felt a thrill of victory as he tripped. She paused just long enough to hear him cry out in pain and see him fall to the floor. She used the distraction to her full advantage and ran faster. It sounded as if she’d lost him. Now she could hear voices ahead of her. Were those ahead of her trustworthy? Would they keep her safe or hand her over? There was only one she could trust and he was nowhere to be found.
Standing up against the wall, she held her breath. She pushed open the door and froze. In front of her was not the man she’d hoped, or even men who would help her, but the lewd grimaces of the men who’d come to camp with them—Monty and his crew. And in front of Monty was a man tied to a chair, whose profile she’d recognize anywhere—her father! How had her father come to be not only here, but held hostage like this? She turned to go but it was no use. The men standing around him had seen her, and were already advancing on her. She’d run straight from the frying pan into the fire.
Chapter Seventeen
I loved her, but the dark side of her… her demons are what drove me wild, her secrets, her pain, her darkness… that’s what made me love her. ? Michael Marquez
Cole raced down the hallways, throwing open doors and searching frantically, unable to call out to Aida lest he draw attention to himself. If the authorities came before he was able to do what he had to, all would be lost. They wouldn’t know why he’d done what he had, and he’d be taken, jailed, or hanged. But what was worse, Aida would be unprotected.
“For God’s sake, split up,” he hissed at Junior. A faint sound echoed in the hall. Was his mind playing tricks on him, or was that what he thought it was? It echoed again, and this time there was no mistaking the familiar sound of a woman’s scream, a scream he knew all too well from having drawn it from the woman himself.